Friday, June 14, 2019
Day 19: Today we visited to the Rock Island Arsenal established in 1862 to make rifles, pistols, officer's swords etc. and all the things that went with them for military. It is still active. They have a small but excellent museum with rifles known to be used at the Battle of the Big Horn. Bullet casings found at the battlefield and those test shot at the arsenal from 6 weapons confiscated later from Indians matched up. They had a wall of Indian rifles turned in to the Army when those Indians were forced onto reservations in the 1880s. And much more.
The army has hired women workers since the civil war; many a Rosy worked here during WWII.
We enjoyed a small visitors center overlooking another lock and dam at the south end of this island in the middle of the Mississippi River. Again, the gates were wide open.
An early fort was located on the island in fur trading days and the fur trader, Davenport, became a trader with the Army too.
During the Civil War a Confederate prison was located on the Island holding about 2,000 men. There is a large Confederate as well as National cemetery.
More construction heading across the river as they are buildig a new bridge adjacent to the one we were on. So many orange cones, so many headaches! Getting to the arsenal from our hotel involved negotiating heavy city traffic and one lane over the bridge, 40 miles round trip.
We are heading to Elgin, IL tomorrow and we'll probably be home on Monday.
The army has hired women workers since the civil war; many a Rosy worked here during WWII.
We enjoyed a small visitors center overlooking another lock and dam at the south end of this island in the middle of the Mississippi River. Again, the gates were wide open.
An early fort was located on the island in fur trading days and the fur trader, Davenport, became a trader with the Army too.
During the Civil War a Confederate prison was located on the Island holding about 2,000 men. There is a large Confederate as well as National cemetery.
More construction heading across the river as they are buildig a new bridge adjacent to the one we were on. So many orange cones, so many headaches! Getting to the arsenal from our hotel involved negotiating heavy city traffic and one lane over the bridge, 40 miles round trip.
We are heading to Elgin, IL tomorrow and we'll probably be home on Monday.
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Day 18: 103 miles from Dubuque to Le Claire, Iowa with side trips. The river road alternates from along the river where streams enter and towns are located to high up in the hills with beautiful views of farmland and sometimes the river valley. We stopped in Savanna, IL where Frank Fritz has a restaurant /bar/antique shop; all pretty grubby and seedy. The place caters to bikers, especially on weekends. Nearby we drove to the top of Palisades Park and hiked to a dramatic view of the river, especially now with high water. Dam 12 was wide open.
We arrived in Le Claire about 2:30 and visited Antique Archaeology; lots of tourist things and Mike Wolf's collectables but not a whole lot of antiques for sale.
We are now comfortably looking at the Mississippi River from our room. Another nice 70 degree, sunny day.
We arrived in Le Claire about 2:30 and visited Antique Archaeology; lots of tourist things and Mike Wolf's collectables but not a whole lot of antiques for sale.
We are now comfortably looking at the Mississippi River from our room. Another nice 70 degree, sunny day.
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